Card index device



Patented Nov. 21, 19239 UNITED STATES Y PATENT AOFFICE Application May 15, 193i, serial No. 142,170 In Germany May 19, 1936 2 Claims.

The present inventionA relates to an improved card index device, and has for an object to provide a nat card index in which the cards are mounted in a frame-like support of a convenient 5 size to be carried in the hand or otherwise supported, and in which means are provided for successively exposing the cards and thereupon retaining the cards, so that the selected card is entirely exposed for examination or making l entries thereon. To this end it is particularly proposed to provide a sliding bar which is disposed parallel to the upper and lower edges of the cards, and which is adapted to be engaged between `the individual cards and through sliding movement to turn the cards into open position, atthe same time retaining them in such open position when the particular card desired is exposed.

A further object is to provide such a bar which 20 will have roller or other suitable bearing means thereon to protect the cards against damage as the bar is moved in relation thereto and to reduce frictional resistance to the movement ofA the bar.

Another object is to provide such sliding means which will be so supported as to insure easy sliding movement and at the same time remain perfectly parallel to the card edges during such movement so that the proper engagement of the cards with the least amount of effort will be insured.

A still further object is to provide such a bar which will act as a retainer for the cover of the card index when the same is closed.

With the above and other objects in viewl an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be nally 40 pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the device showing the card index in open position with certain of 45 the cards turned back.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, also in open position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, also in open position, and showing a portion of the upper part of the 50 device in vertical section.

Fig. 4, is a plan view, on a reduced scale, showing the device in closed position.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation, also showing the I device in closed position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. y Referring to the drawing the cardindex device,

, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a base support 5 I0 of rectangular form, and which may be constructed of wood, bre board, metal, or other suitable material, the same being longitudinally recessed at its under lside adjacent one edge, as at II, to providea space in which the lower por- 10 tion of the sliding member engages, as will presently more fully appear, so that this lower por-J tion will not project with respect to the under surface of the support.

Along the side edges there are provided guide rails I2 and I3, respectively, and which are recessed at their inner sides adjacent the support I0, as at I4 and I5, to provide guideways for the card holding means, these recesses terminating at their upper ends in shouldered pockets IB and I1 which project laterally with respect tothe y recsses I4 and I5 and constitute movement llimitl ing pockets in which the ends of thev top bar I8 of the card holding means are engaged. The cards I9 are individually secured in a series of 25 interlocking strip' elements 20, these strip elements being of a type adapted to be interlockingly engaged through longitudinal movement /with each other, and within which the cards are interlockingly engaged at one marginal edge through longitudinal movement with respect to the strips. This particular type of interlocking strip is disclosed in my patent for card 1ing. system, No. 2,083,757, dated June 15, 1937. The uppermost strip 20 has the bar I8 secured therev35 to by soldering, welding, or the like, and the lowermost strip 20 has a similar bar 2l secured theref to, this bar 2l projecting at its ends with respect to the interlocking strips, but being shorter than the bar I8, so that it slidably engages in the re- 0 cesses I4 and I5 of the side rails. Thus the entire series of cards may be readily removed for the purpose of changing cardsor adding or removing cards.

The cover 22 is secured to the upper end of the 45 member Ill by means of a`flexible hinge 23, and in the open position may be swung to the back of the device as shown in Fig. 3, while in the closed position it engages over the cards as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,'where it is retained in place by the 50 slide member, presently to be more fully described.

The rail I2 has slidably engaged thereon an elongated slide member 24 of U-shape channel l' form in cross-section, the lower portion being N5v @in use, Yas shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and

engaged in the recess II of the support I and the upper portion engaging the upper surface of the rail and being curved inwardly at its inner margin, as at 2l. to engage the curved inner corner 2l of the rail to retain the slide member against lateralv displacement. Upon the upper side of the slide member 24 there is rigidly secured, as by soldering or welding, a bar 21, disposed at right angles to the slide member and .extending across the device in parallel relation to the upper and lower edges oi' the cards, and being provided at its outer extremity with an enlarged head 28 which slidably engages the upper surface of the rail I3. Cylindrical rollers 29 and 2l are provided upon the bar which engage the surfaces of the cards with rolling contact as the slide means is moved. so that the lcard surface will not be scratched or damaged. 'I'he rollers also act as anti-friction bearings to reduce frictional resistance. These rollers'are retained upon the bar by the head 28, but it will be understood that they may be held against longitudinal displacement by any suitable means.

The bar is bent downwardly at a right angle at the outer sideof the slide member 24, as at 2l, and a wing-like handle 32 is pivotally engaged thereon and retained by u p-setting the end of the rod, as at 32, this handle lying parallel to the outer surface of the slide member when not being swung outwardly when in use as in full lines.

'I'he rail I2 is provided at its outer side with a longitudinally extending recess 34 having near its upper end a stop pin 35 disposed adjacent one side and in the path of an inwardly bent lug 36 formed upon the slide member 24 near its lower end, and having near its lower end and adjacent the other -side a stop pin 31 disposed in the path of an inwardly bent lug 38 formed near the upper end of the slide member 24. 'I'hese lugs and stop pins limit the sliding movement of the slide, so that it will not become accidentally removed from the device.

'Ihe operation is as follows:

When it is desired to use the card index device the slide is moved to its lower position to release the cover 22 which is thereupon swung to the back, as shown in Fig. 3. The cards tend to spring outwardly as shown at the lower portion of Fig. 3, so that when the bar 21 is directly below any particular card it will enter shown between this card and the card beneath it as the slide and bar are moved upwardly. As the upward movement is continued this card and the card above it are turned back and retained exposing the card below. As the bar is moved upwardly beyond the lfree edge of each card it is released and falls into its normal position.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the 'appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a card index device, a series of rectangular index cards hinged at one edge and arranged in overlapping relation at their free edges and adapted to be moved between closed and open positions, a lilat support for 'said cards, said hinged edges being in a plane parallel to said support and said free edges in the normal closed position of the cards being in a plane parallel to and outwardly spaced from the plane of said hinged edges, guide means carried by said support in parallel relation to the'side edges of said cards, a slide member engaged upon said guide means for sliding movement'parallel to said side edges, a bar rigidly secured to said slide member disposed at a right angle to said guide means extending over said cards in parallel relation to the hinged and free edges of said cards, and spaced from said support a distance greater than the spacing of the hinged edges of said cards from said support and less than the spacing of the free edges in the normal closed position of said cards, whereby upon movement of said bar in a direction toward the free edge of a card in normally closed position it will enter beneath said card to raise it to open position, will support it along a lineparallel to said free edge whereby both ends` of said free edge are uniformly supported at vany point of movement of said bar between the hinged and free edges of the card, and will release said cardsimultaneously with the passage of the bar over said free edge parallel thereto. y

-2. The invention as dened in claim 1, further characterized by roller bearing means carried upon said bar for engagement with the surface of said cards and movable about an axis parallel to the hinged and free edges of said cards.

MAX VOGEL. 

